Warning: this post contains disclaimers about Tuesday’s episode of This is Us
This Tuesday’s episode of This is Us shifted its focus from the Pearson clan to Deja (the amazing Lyric Ross), the foster child cared for by Randall and Beth (Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson). Some thought it may have tampered with the momentum of the show, and it seems there may have been some behind the scenes drama in getting the episode to air. Show creator Dan Fogelman took to Twitter to thank NBC for giving its blessing to Deja’s “important story.”
Must acknowledge what @nbc let us do last night.
Our 2nd-to-last episode of season featured little of our superstar cast and instead told the important story of a little girl’s life.
Anyone writing the obituary for network TV may want to put down their pen for a second.
— Dan Fogelman (@Dan_Fogelman) March 7, 2018
At the end of the episode, Deja’s birth mother, Shauna, abruptly leaves Deja with Randall and Beth. As for her fate, Susan Kelechi Watson told Entertainment Weekly that during next week’s season finale, “This ish hits the fan next week. Yeah. You’re going to see how Deja responds to all of this and what we’re in for here.”
The promo for next week’s finale centers on the wedding of Kate and Toby, and the teaser promises a “surprise guest” at the nuptials. It appears to be a silver fox incarnation of Milo Ventimiglia’s Jack. Jack? In the present day? What gives?
There are some interesting theories floating around, but it’s probably just a dream sequence. Even if Jack is still dead, season three promises to bring us more laughter and (mostly) tears.
When the show wrapped production on season 2, Sterling told PEOPLE that the mood on the set was “bittersweet,” because “We love each other and we have a wonderful time working with each other, but we’re also excited because we know how the season ends and it ends very strongly and also opens up very interesting storylines moving forward into season 3.” Sterling went on to say that the show’s writers are already working on season three’s scripts, that are sure “to slay hearts all over the globe.”
Although Sterling didn’t share any specifics, he did reveal that, “There will be a bit of an exploration of marriage with regards to Randall and Beth going through times that aren’t all sunshine and rainbows.” And, for those of you who see Randall and Beth as #relatioshipgoals, don’t get too worried, as Sterling added, “that’s not to say that they are in danger of parting ways, but marriage is real and takes work.”
As an aside, Sterling is hosting Saturday Night Live this week! He told PEOPLE that he’s excited about his hosting debut but wants to make sure he doesn’t “drop any F bombs live.” He told People “My kid will watch this one day and he’s going to make me pay him $2 for every one that I drop.” I can’t wait to see the This is Us parody, and I have a suspicion Sterling is going to kill it as a host.
This is truly a dream come true. I’ve watched @nbcsnl since I was a baby. To finally get to host is one of the more surreal moments of my life, but it’s gonna be awesome. #SKBSNL pic.twitter.com/uSPyxQQ3p2
— Sterling K Brown (@SterlingKBrown) February 20, 2018
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
Jack looks greeeaaaat in these photos!!
Deja’s episode has soooooo important.
Seeing how messed up her life has been and seeing how truly special she is was heartbreaking.
Absolutely. And the young actress playing Deja *killed* it.
I thought it was an amazing episode. Viewers were able to see what Deja’s life was like from the start. She didn’t get to be a child. Then at the end when her mom broke down. ‘’What would I do without you” Who puts that on a child?
Ugh, very well done.
I agree that episode was really well done. The story line, the editing, the acting…really good. It just shows you never to judge someone on their current situation when you know nothing about how they got there and what they’ve been through.
That was one of the best episodes, in my opinion. Clearly Deja has a huge impact on Randall and Beth individually and for them as a family. That makes the back story to Deja pretty important and I’m happy they did it.
Clearly, I am very invested in this show!
I wish I liked this show as much as everyone else seems to. I only like Randall’s story line the others I can’t be bothered.
I only watch for Randall and his life story. Kevin and Kate are beyond irritating. And jack’s wig mullets….I just cant. You are not alone!
Same. Kate and Kevin are obnoxious characters. Mandy Moore’s acting is not good eventhough I like her as a singer. Randall, Beth, their Bio kids and Deja are the only characters I really enjoy watching. And Milo Ventimiglia is so beautiful I would literally watch him watch paint dry.
I watch for Randall and Beth. I used to love Kate, but they went off in a weird direction with her.
Yep literally binged watched season one awhile back and the only storyline I liked was Randall’s.
God the tense in this headline scared me, sorry… the episode hasn’t aired yet, phew.
That Deja episode was one of the best yet – along with the William episode last year. Absolutely brilliant acting and writing. Love this show.
I caught up with the last two episodes last night (before the finale) and Deja’s episode was awesome – I just wish they would have kept it straight on her instead of including flashes of everyone else, which I found kind of annoying. As a single mom myself, it killed me at the end. I’ve always joked to my sons, “what would I do without you” when they help me out. Maybe I took it too personally, but honestly I was like, “Is that bad?” My youngest is extremely observant and can always remember where I tossed my keys or my wallet and I call him ‘my favorite finder.’ To make it into something borderline abusive was kind of effed up in my opinion. It’s just a sweet/cute thing to say for most of us, not a way of saying, “Hey, you’re not a child you’re an adult.”
“I just wish they would have kept it straight on her instead of including flashes of everyone else, which I found kind of annoying.”
Really, I liked that part of it – I think it is just another example of: We are more alike than different.
All of the flashing back depicts all the similarities of lifestyles of different people and how intertwined all our life experiences truly are.
I am not a mom and I don’t/can’t know how you feel but I was raised by a single mom and (shout outs to all single moms!) I do think that the relationships between them and their kids is different than that of a two parent household. I do think there are some reliancies between the parent and the kid(s) that may not be there for the two parent household – and I think that is a beautiful thing. The difference is in Deja’s homelife, her very young mother relied on her grandmother to parent until she died, and was more concerned about “doing her” than learning to be an adult and being a mom. All the bad parts came from the mom putting her wants as a woman ahead of Deja’s needs as a child.
Again, really invested in this show and hate that it affected you negatively and also really proud of my relationship with my single mom….
Sorry
I liked it too. For example, when they were flashing to the different families reading Goodnight Moon. It showed families from completely different circumstances doing the best that they can with their kids.
Lyric Ross is a terrific young actress and I loved how the show basically showed Deja’s life and what she had been through up to this point. As my husband, not a regular watcher of This Is Us, observed, the luckiest thing to happen to Deja is Randall and Beth and their family. I am glad NBC basically allowed This Is Us to have the main cast take seat and let them do a solo episode for Deja.
Her mother (I don’t know the actresses name, but she was great too) observing that at Randall and Beth’s house it was the first time she had seen Deja be a kid. I can’t imagine Deja is going to take her mother basically leaving very well, no matter how much she cares for Randall and Beth, she does love her mother.
Was Pam Grier the grandmother? I think future Jack is a dream sequence next week or a nod to the thought about the people you miss, that you want there on the important days of your life, and they are there, just not the way you want them to be.
I’m assuming older Jack at the wedding is all in their minds. Like a flash-sideways on LOST haha!